Excitement builds towards Deans Quarterfinals

It will be a clash of the Titans when eight schools from different zones will compete for semifinal spots in the Coke Zero Deans national quarterfinals tomorrow.

Marist Brothers High School, John Wesley College and Nasinu Secondary School will be carrying the hopes of the Southern Zone tomorrow.

Marist has won the Deans Trophy on four occasions and drawn twice.

They first won in 1965.

John Wesley College have not won the trophy and their best performance so far was their game against Ratu Navula College in last year’s quarters.

Meanwhile, with the Coca Cola Games title and the Vodafone Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League Championship trophy both in the West this year, the challenge is now for Ratu Navula College and Cuvu College to try and take the Coke Zero Deans trophy to the West as well.

Ratu Navula lost to RKS 11 8 in the semifinal last year while Cuvu College has qualified for the first time for the national quarters.

However, over the last 74 years of the Deans competition, schools from the Eastern Zone have been dominating the competition with Lelean Memorial School winning the trophy 14 times, RKS lifting the trophy 20 times while QVS has won the trophy 21 times.

QVS last won the Deans title in 2012 while RKS last won the Deans trophy in 2002 when the competition was still in the Under 19 category.

RKS was the first to win the trophy in 1961 and holds the record for the longest defense of the Deans Trophy from 1980 to 1985.

Ratu Navula will take on John Wesley College at 12.10pm tomorrow while defending champion Lelean Memorial School will take on Cuvu College at 2.50pm.

Nasinu Secondary School will face RKS at 10.50am while you can catch the live commentary of the match between QVS and Marist Brothers High School at 1.30pm on Viti FM.